The state government has sanctioned Rs 80.84 lakh to set up smart classes at 19 Sarvodaya Schools, earlier known as Rajkiya Ashram Paddhati Vidyalayas.

The underprivileged students at government-run Jayaprakash Narayan Sarvodaya Schools will now get exposure to smart classes on the lines of convent and private educational institutes.

The state government has sanctioned Rs 80.84 lakh to set up smart classes at 19 Sarvodaya Schools, earlier known as Rajkiya Ashram Paddhati Vidyalayas.

The state government has allocated a total of Rs 26 crore for the modernisation of these schools and the sanctioned amount of Rs 80.84 lakh is a part of Rs 6.98 crore set aside for the first phase of the project.

The government’s decision has been conveyed to director, social welfare department, by under secretary, social welfare, Kamta Prasad, through a missive dated March 27.

“We plan to set up such classrooms at all the Sarvodaya Schools in the state,” said under secretary (social welfare) Kamta Prasad, while talking to HT from Lucknow.

The smart classrooms for the students of classes 9-12 will be set up at three schools in Sonbhadra, two each in Lucknow and Hardoi and one each in Bulandshahr, Banda, Faizabad, Mainpuri, Jhansi, Kheri, Robertsganj, Gonda, Rae Bareli, Chitrakoot, Basti and Manikpur.

Sarvodaya Schools are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and are managed by the department of social welfare and tribal development, Uttar Pradesh. These institutions are run on traditional ‘ashram’ model for poor students belonging to backward classes, Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and de-notified tribes.

There are 93 Sarvodaya Schools, including four in Allahabad, that offer free education and residential facilities to students up to class 12.

Besides free boarding and lodging, these schools also provide free books and uniform to students. Selections are made through an entrance examination and the selected students study in boys or girls only schools.